The uncertain nature of the global economic landscape makes it extremely important for businesses to keep worker productivity up and costs down. One of the best ways to do this is to make proper use of the latest technology solutions. Today’s employees also understand the value of maintaining adequate workplace safety, be it preventing acute injuries leading to huge treatment costs and insurance claims or ongoing fatigue that can diminish the efficiency of the workforce significantly.
The rapid pace of technology development has already made a significant impact on the safety and overall wellness of the workers. Artificial intelligence, workstation ergonomics, exoskeleton technology, wearable devices, and many other emerging technologies have already made modern workplaces much safer compared to its traditional counterparts. In a safe workplace, the workforce is motivated to perform and can focus entirely on their work instead of spending hours discussing their workplace issues with a personal injury lawyer.
Desktop Ergonomics: Many experts suggest that ergonomics is one of the most essential facets of any safety program for workplaces. There are many workers in today’s workplaces that spend at least 65% of a regular day at work in a seated, sedentary position. Spending long hours of sitting in such positions can be detrimental to the health of a worker. In addition to chronic pain and inflammation, it may also hinder digestion and reduce blood flow.
Desktop ergonomics is a field that involves a trained professional reviewing the workstation of each employee to assess risk areas that are likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders and addressing the problem using technology solutions. An increasing number of employers are equipping their offices with ergonomic keyboards matching the natural angle of the wrist of a worker, standing desks supporting better posture, and enhanced desk chairs.
Predictive Safety: Within a quick time, artificial intelligence has emerged as a viable tool for combating workplace injury. Today, we already have software capable of compiling the work site’s observation data to create profiles for each department as well as tasks. These profiles are then used for the isolation of risk factors before they can actually cause any harm to workers. Though this technology is still in its early days, it can also help prevent fatigue in workers by creating more efficient schedules and rosters.
Wearable Devices: Many modern-day organizations have augmented their safety programs utilizing wearable technology. One such solution involves a physiology-based approach using shirts or outfits capable of measuring biological data. This technological innovation helps understand and assess the severity and location of stress in the body of a worker. As a result, the managers can redesign the job task by eliminating those stress factors. Wrist monitors are also used extensively for the collection of ergonomic data based on the physical traits of the employees and their job requirements.
Exoskeleton Technology: Though robotic exoskeletons may sound too futuristic as a concept; its possibilities are being explored by the experts as viable equipment for personal protection in high-risk environments such as warehouses and construction sites. Injuries related to overexertion account for around $15 billion per year to employers’ indirect costs. Therefore, there is a great interest among employers to invest in a technology solution that protects users from strains, sprains, and other types of injuries.
Robotics and Drones: Using robots in manufacturing and industrial settings is nothing new. However, robots are now making lives easier for employers by ensuring the safety of their workers. Drones have now become an essential component of safety programs at field sites where the workers are exposed to significantly higher injury and fatality risks than at indoor settings. By integrating robotics with artificial intelligence, it becomes much easier to increase worksite safety, isolate MSD risk factors, and reduce chronic pain and fatigue by profiling employee behavior.
